Marvelous X-Men: Book 1: Back to Basics
by Magnetrix
Summary: After a devastating loss, Charles Xavier and what's left of his first class decide to reopen the Institute in California, promising to put their days as X-Men behind them and run the Institute like the school it should have been. But the past has a way of catching up with you, and soon they may have to rethink their decision.
1. Chapter 1

Marvellous X-Men: Book 1: Back to Basics

Disclaimer: All characters are the property of Marvel Comics and its affiliates. I own nothing except this story, which I'm not making any money off of. So be nice and don't sue me.

Rating: Rated T for now, but as the story progresses it will move up to an M rating. Please be aware that this story will touch on some dark themes. Trigger warnings will be put at the beginning of chapters containing such subject matter.

Author's note: Hi everybody! Before I begin, here are a few things you should know:

A: This story takes place in an alternate universe and does not follow the main Marvel timeline. I'd describe it as a cross between X-Men: Evolution and the Earth 616 reality, with a bit of the 90s cartoon and Ultimate thrown in.

B: Max Eisenhardt is Magneto's real name in the comics, in case anyone gets confused.

D: And finally, please review. I'd really like to know what you guys think, and if you have any suggestions for me. But don't be a total bum and post something like "OMG u suck I hope u die lolz."

'These indicate psychic communication or character thought.'

Prologue

Tragedy

Undisclosed location – Canada – 6 years ago

Ominous black clouds hung in the sky as night began to set in over the vast landscape of the Canadian Wilderness. This particular area was rather desolate, the terrain too rough and rugged for farming and the only forms of life that seemed prevalent were tall deciduous. Trees. Normally, this serene, uninhabited land was quiet, the chirping of crickets and the wind blowing the leaves on the trees being the only sounds. But tonight, was different.

In the sky overhead, the loud roar of a jet engine echoed through the night and caused the leaves on the trees to rustle in the gust that followed. This particular plane was the SR-77 Blackbird, a plane that wasn't even supposed to exist. Had anyone been present to see it, they would have thought it to be something out of this world. But it was there and it was real, and as it streaked through the sky at speeds exceeding that of sound, its passengers anxiously waited as they drew closer to their destination.

For the most part, the Blackbird's passengers looked like ordinary teenagers. But like the Blackbird, they were also something that shouldn't exist – mutants, human beings born with a specific genetic quirk that gave them unique and fantastic abilities. Furthermore, these particular mutants made up a peacekeeping force that swore to protect a world that feared and hated them.

"Professor Xavier, we're nearing the coordinates you gave us. I'm beginning the final descent," said eighteen-year-old Scott Summers, a young man with the ability to shoot deadly concussive energy beams from his eyes. Due to a head injury he received as a child, Scott could not control this power, and as a result had to wear a special visor made out of ruby quartz so as not to obliterate everything in his line of sight.

"Excellent. You're right on target. You should be seeing the old hospital any moment now," responded Professor Charles Xavier over the radio.

"Explain it to me again, Chuck, why the hell are we bothering with this? You said this was nothin' but a reconnaissance mission, so why did you send the whole team?" said a gruff over the radio that Xavier immediately recognized as belonging to Logan.

Logan was quite a bit older than his teammates, although nobody could be sure of his true age. He possessed a healing factor, which meant he could heal from literally any injury, and it slowed down the aging process. On top of that, his skeleton was coated with adamantium, a near indestructible metal alloy which enhanced his strength, and he also possessed animal-keen senses.

"This is merely a precaution should something go wrong during the mission," Xavier answered. "From the information my source sent me, I feel it would be best to play it safe, given our course of luck in the past."

"Yeah, that's another thing," added Logan. "Who is this source, and how do you know you can trust 'em?"

A brief silence fell over the radio as Professor Xavier contemplated his response. "I'm afraid I can't disclose that, Logan, as he has specifically asked me not to give his name. However, I have known him for a long time, and he has always been truthful with me."

"But what exactly is so special about the hospital?" asked seventeen-year-old Jean Grey, a mutant who possessed both telepathy and telekinesis.

"Well, from my research, the Greenview Hospital functioned as a psychiatric institution for twenty-five years," Xavier replied. "It shut down in 1969 due to lack of funding, or so they say."

"But there's more to it, isn't there?" said eighteen-year-old Ororo Munroe, a Kenyan-born mutant with the ability to manipulate weather patterns.

"Yes, Ororo," Xavier answered. "My source told me that the real reason Greenview shut down was because the doctors had been experimenting on patients. You've probably heard of the MK Ultra program."

"I wrote a paper on it once," said twenty-year-old Henry McCoy, a muscular mutant with superhuman strength, stamina, and enhanced senses. "The idea that are government could have done something like this is beyond disturbing."

"What makes you think they're not still doing it?" asked eighteen-year-old Miranda Leevald, a young woman covered in red, snake-like scales who was able to use pheromones to manipulate the sensations of anyone she came into physical contact with.

Hank shuddered. "I wouldn't be surprised if they were," he said.

"I wonder if Weapon X had any connection to the CIA," wondered nineteen-year-old Edie Sawyer, a pretty red-haired woman with light blue skin and the ability to teleport.

"If I had to guess, I'd say they were runnin' the whole damn thing," Logan growled. "Sneaky bastards they are."

"Well, I'm officially uncomfortable now," said nineteen-year-old Kevin Sydney, a young man who could literally morph his body into anyone or anything he wanted. "I mean, how cliché is that? An abandoned hospital in which many, many atrocities took place? This better not turn into a Grave Encounters type of thing."

"I don't know about that, Kevin, but I ask that you all be cautious," Xavier said. "According to my source, most of these so-called patients were actually mutants, and that the experiments continued long after the hospital shut down."

"Is that why we're here?" asked Scott. "Do you think mutants are being held inside?"

"No," Xavier replied. "I've done a scan of the building using Cerebro. I didn't find anyone inside."

"So, what are we looking for, exactly?" asked Jean.

"It's a reconnaissance mission. You're there to gather information and document your findings, nothing more," Xavier replied.

The radio then went silent as the rumble of the engines caused the inside of the aircraft to shake and vibrate as it passed through a large cloud and descended toward the ground below.

"Okay everybody," said Scott as he flipped a number of switches. "I'm taking her down."

As the plane lowered toward a clearing, their destination came into a sight. It was a tall, multi-levelled building that fed directly into a hill behind it as it sat over a cliff that led down toward a river. As they got a closer look, they could see that the old hospital was completely unlit, hinting that it hadn't been in use for quite some time. The remoteness of the building seemed unusual, for the only way to enter or leave the hospital was via a small dirt road that had long ago disappeared within the vegetation.

"Okay, Professor, we're at the hospital," said Scott. "We can see it now and it's exactly where you said it would be."

"Good. I'll be monitoring your progress through Cerebro. Good luck, X-Men, and please be careful."

The X-Men proceeded to file out of the plane and made their way toward the old building. It didn't seem too threatening. Well, unless one considered the dangers of entering a building that had been left to the elements for decades.

"So, should I ring the bell?" joked Kevin as they all took in the appearance of the hospital.

"I don't know," said Miranda as she looked at the fading outer walls. "I don't really think the rats and spiders will care all that much."

"Well, I'm not sensing anything," said Jean as she did a quick telepathic scan of the building. "The Professor was right. No one's home. Except for rats and spiders."

"Well, that settles it," said Kevin. "Now how are we gonna—"

SNIKT!

Three deadly metal blades slid out from the knuckles on one of Logan's hands, and in a matter of seconds he had made work of the rusted metal door.

"Nothing like the direct approach," said Scott as the group entered the hospital.

"It's the only way to get things done," Logan replied with a smirk.

The layout of the building seemed like that of a regular hospital. The halls led to different sections and each section had its specific function and purpose. However, it was hard to discern much else from this due to the lack of light. Jean tried to flip a nearby switch, but no lights came on.

"Well, we definitely know no one has been here," said Jean. "No electricity."

"Yup. It is most definitely abandoned," Hank said, making a face at the sight of the blackened, moldy walls. "Too much of a health hazard."

Logan sniffed the air, trying to get a scent that might lead them all to something. But at the moment, all he could smell was mildew, old chemicals, and medicine. So far, nothing seemed all that significant about this place, but something was off about it. Who would build a hospital in the middle of nowhere? He was all too aware of what was done to psychiatric patients back in the shitty old days. It wasn't even a fraction of what had been done to him, but horrible just the same. Nobody should ever go through that. Ever. And if Charles was right and something unethical was taking place here, then Logan was going to put a stop to it.

"This place is huge," Scott said as the group walked down the main corridor, stopping at a dividing intersection. "Looks like we'll have to split up to cover more ground."

"Oh no, bad idea," said Kevin, brushing away a cobweb. "I've watched enough horror movies to know that it never ends well."

"If you don't start takin' this seriously, you'll be the first to go," Logan growled in annoyance.

Kevin swallowed and said nothing more, deciding it was probably best not to incur the wrath of the man nicknamed Wolverine. Edie and Miranda gave him sympathetic looks, and in return he gave the thumbs-up to both girls.

"Right, I don't wanna be here longer than I have to, so let's get movin'," Logan said. "Kevin, you're with me. Edie, Miranda, you take the left hall. Ororo, you and Hank will take the hall up ahead, and Jean and Scott will take this one. Got it?"

Everybody nodded.

"Good. Let's go," Logan said, and with those final words he headed off, Kevin following behind him.

"What is this? Some kind of archive?" Scott peered around the large room he and Jean had wandered into. Tall metal filing cabinets lined the walls, and in one corner several boxes were stacked on top of each other.

Jean nodded. "It looks like it," she replied.

"Well, if we're going to find out what really went on here, it would be in this room," Scott said. "Maybe the records are still here."

"Only one way to find out," Jean said, and using her telekinesis she began to open the filing cabinets.

It didn't look very promising though. The drawers were full of nothing but dust. No medical charts, no patient records, nothing.

"Oh, come on," Jean groaned as she went through several more cabinets. "There has to be something here. They couldn't have taken everything, could they?"

"Just our luck," said Scott. "Just once I'd like it if they made things easy for us."

"What I'd like to know is why did they take all the records with them?" Jean wondered. "I can only think of one reason, and it's not good."

Scott nodded in agreement. "It seems that way," he said. "I'm starting to get the feeling that the Professor was right, and something did happen here."

"But nobody will be able to prove that, will they?" said Jean.

Scott nodded. "Don't give up yet. We still have a lot of rooms to go through."

"Hey, look at this," Miranda motioned for Edie to come closer.

"Come on, Miranda," Edie groaned. "I'm not in the mood to screw around here. This room is seriously giving me the creeps."

The girls had found themselves in a large room that had obviously been an operating theatre. A metal surgical table stood in the centre of the room with leather restraints on each side. A number of sinister-looking, rusted instruments sat on a tray off to one side of the room covered in God only knew what. Miranda was holding what looked like an ice pick, and Edie didn't even want to think about what they could have used it for.

"Do you know what a lobotomy is?" Miranda asked, a small smirk playing on her lips.

Edie glared at her. "Yes, I know what that is. Now put that thing down!"

"They would stab this right through someone's eye and into their brain," Miranda continued, and it was obvious she was getting some enjoyment out of her friend's discomfort.

"Fuck you, Randi," Edie spat, turning on her heel and walking out of the room. "You can stay there all you like, but I'm done."

Miranda laughed, dropping the instrument onto the table and following Edie out of the operating theatre and down the hall. "Sensitive much?" Miranda said, grinning.

"Again, fuck you," Edie huffed.

"But you still love me, right?" Miranda laughed.

"No," Edie replied. "At least not until we're out of this creepy ass hospital. This place feels all kinds of wrong."

"Well, this is rather unsettling, to say the least," said Hank as he and Ororo entered a room filled with, of all things, computers. "The hospital shut down in 1969, right?"

Ororo nodded. "Supposedly, yes," she replied.

"Supposedly," Hank repeated, studying the computer hardware. "If the hospital closed in 1969, then how did these 90s era computers get here?"

"I'm guessing somebody didn't randomly decide to store their old machines in some out-of-the-way abandoned building," Ororo responded, a chill creeping down her spine.

Hank slowly shook his head. He was starting to feel uneasy.

"Do you think they still work?" Ororo asked. "Maybe we can find something on them."

"Assuming there's power to this room. But I suppose there's only one way to find out," Hank said, and hit the power button on one of the computers.

Much to their surprise, the machine whirred to life, and the old CRT monitor lit up.

"I guess there is power after all," Hank said.

"I think we just stepped into Frankenstein's lab," Kevin commented as he and Logan entered a spacious, sterile laboratory.

The walls were covered in tall, glass tubes big enough to hold a person. The sight of them made Logan tense, and for a moment, he had a vision of himself floating in green water.

"Almost there," he heard a distorted voice. "Soon, you won't be you anymore."

"Uh… Logan? Look at this," Kevin gestured toward a boxy machine with several long hoses protruding from it, each one of them connected to the tubes. "I don't think I wanna know what went into those things."

"No, you don't," Logan muttered. "Trust me, you'll have nightmares for—"

He suddenly trailed off when his enhanced hearing caught a sound, a quiet beeping only he could hear. For a moment, Logan was confused as to what it was, but then his eyes landed on a small device sitting on a table in one corner of the room.

"Get out!" Logan shouted, startling Kevin.

"What—" Kevin began, only to be shoved out of the room.

"Don't ask questions! Run for the front entrance!" Logan commanded. "I'll get the others!"

BOOM!

"What was that?" Jean said as the building shook violently.

"That didn't sound good at all," Scott said.

"That's because it's not good!" Logan's voice crackled over their communicators. "There are explosives all over the building. I don't think I need to tell you what that means."

They didn't need to be told twice. They ran for it, sprinting down the halls toward the exit.

BOOM! BOOM! ZZZZBANG!

A series of powerful explosions rocked the old hospital, causing parts of the ceiling to collapse and the windows to shatter. Throughout the rooms, hidden incendiaries went off, and fire rapidly spread over the crumbling hospital.

"Scott!" Jean cried, and quickly erected a telekinetic forcefield around Scott, saving him from being crushed by falling debris.

BOOM! SHATTER!

"We have to find the others and get out of here!" Scott yelled over the noise.

"Guys! Hold onto me!" Edie suddenly appeared between them, and in a matter of seconds Jean and Scott were outside along with their teammates.

CABOOOOM!

The teens dropped to the ground as the hospital exploded. Jean shielded them from flying debris, and Ororo created a massive rainstorm to put out the fire. If there was anything in that building, it was lost now. But everybody had thankfully made it outside.

"What the hell just happened?" exclaimed a very confused and shaken Miranda.

"Somebody knew we were coming," Hank replied.

"But how?" Ororo asked. "Jean and the Professor didn't sense anything, and I'm sure Logan would have told us if he'd picked up a scent."

"I have no idea," said Scott. "Wait, where is Logan?"

"Kevin's not here either," said Edie.

"Jean, could you do a scan—"

"On it," said Jean, and she reached out with her telepathy to locate their missing teammates. "I got a reading on Logan. It's weak, but he's gonna be okay. I can't find Kevin though… wait… I think… oh my god… no…"

"Jean? What is it?" Scott asked.

She had gone pale, and wobbled back and forth as though her legs had lost the ability to hold her upright.

Scott came behind her and put his arms around her waist to keep her from falling over. "Jean?" he said, concern in his voice.

Then she screamed, and it was unlike anything Scott had heard before. It was so full of anguish and despair. "He's… dead!"

Westchester, New York – present day

"Jean, wake up!"

Jean's eyes shot open, and for a moment she couldn't remember where she was. Something was different.

"Jean, are you okay?"

The sound of Scott's voice brought Jean back to reality, and everything came flooding back to her.

The reason everything felt so different when she woke up was… well… because it was. Her room had been stripped of everything – the shelves devoid of books, the vanity no longer against the far left wall, and the dresser gone. Even her bed wasn't there anymore, and in its place was a small cot. All her things had been shipped off to the new house, and soon, she and Scott would be leaving, too.

"Oh God," Jean moaned, burying her face in the scratchy old blanket she'd pulled from the back of the linin closet. "I keep having that nightmare. It won't go away."

"I know, babe," Scott soothed, lifting her into his arms and kissing her on the forehead. "I wish I could make this all go away."

Jean sighed, letting her head drop onto his chest. "Maybe things will be different at the new house. Maybe I'll finally be able to let go."

"Maybe we can all let go," Scott said. "Speaking of which, we should probably take off soon. Have you eaten?"

Jean shook her head. "Not since yesterday morning," she replied. "God, I got so busy with cleaning up the house I forgot to eat. I'm starving."

Scott laughed. "I figured as much. I popped over to McDonalds while you were still sleeping and bought you a breakfast burrito and an iced coffee."

"Aw, you're the best." Jean grabbed Scott and kissed him deeply. "Anyway, gimme a few minutes to get ready, and we'll get out of here."

"Well, there goes our old house," Scott said as the Blackbird ascended into the sky.

Jean sat beside him, sipping on her iced coffee and watching out the window as the sprawling stone mansion got smaller and smaller, then disappeared altogether. She suddenly felt a sharp pang of sadness. Despite everything that had happened, that house held so many happy memories for her. All the pranks they'd pulled on each other, the bonfires in the courtyard, holidays, birthday parties, and movie nights. She felt like she was leaving that all behind. Leaving Kevin's memory behind.

But this new start was what everybody needed, what she needed, and what Kevin would have wanted for them. They had to move on, continue living their lives, and offering guidance to terrified young mutants uncertain of how to cope with their own powers.

She would always grieve for Kevin. But she knew she had to start living again. If not for herself, then for the next generation of mutants who needed her help.

Next up, Orientation Part I. Please hit that review button.


	2. Chapter 2

Marvelous X-Men: Book 1: Back to Basics

Chapter 1

Orientation Part 1

Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, Halfmoon Bay, California – present day

His mind was connecting to the thoughts of a million different people all at the same time. Visions of past and present flashed before him, coupled with the intense emotions that came with them. It had been a long time since Xavier had used Cerebro, so long that everything felt unfamiliar when he put on the helmet, and it had taken him a few minutes to get his bearings. Of course, it could have just been the recent upgrades he'd made to his psychic-amplifying computer.

In any case, he had been successful in locating several potential new recruits for the new Institute. A white file folder sat on the low table in front of him containing the profiles of the recruits plus some handwritten notes Xavier had made while tracking them with Cerebro.

The first mutant Cerebro had located was a sixteen-year-old girl from Oregon named Cessily Kincaid. Her mutation was rather unique to say the least. Her body existed as an entirely inorganic non-toxic metallic substance, the properties of which were reminiscent of mercury. Xavier marked her file with an X, which meant that she was a priority case. Having glimpsed into her mind, he had seen the dramatic way in which her abilities had manifested, and felt it necessary to make contact with her first.

The next recruit was a sixteen-year-old from New Orleans by the name of Remy LeBeau. Another priority case, as his powers were quite volatile. Remy was able to tap into the potential energy of an inanimate object and rearrange it so it turned to kinetic energy, which then causes the object to become unstable and explode. Xavier marked his file with an X and continued onto the next one.

After Remy was Anna Marie Kellogg, a sixteen-year-old girl from Mississippi. She possessed the ability to psionically absorb the memories, personality traits, and an in the case of other mutants, their powers by touch. From what he'd gathered, she was unable to control this ability, so he marked an X on her file as well.

He had located many more mutants, but those were the profiles he'd printed off so far.

Sighing, Xavier removed the helmet and placed it back on the console, then powered down Cerebro. He wondered how he was going to handle the recruitment process. He only had Jean, Scott and Ororo to help him, which he was very grateful for, but at the moment he didn't have enough staff to teach classes, let alone counsel some of the more troubled students.

"Oh well," he said to the empty room. "I suppose we'll have to make it work somehow."

He wheeled out of his study, which had once been the master bedroom. He started to make his way back toward the elevator. He sent a quick telepathic message to his three former students, now instructors, to meet him downstairs. He was going to have to start the process early if he wanted it to go smoothly.

Xavier Institute – library

Jean was curled up in one of the overstuffed chairs in the mansion's spacious library, the pages of the book she was reading fluttered in the breeze coming in from the open window. She had already unpacked her things and organized her new room. Now she had the whole day to just do nothing. These last few months had been stressful, what with the move to the new house and everything else going on in her life. She needed a day to unwind.

"Hey."

Jean looked up from her book and smiled when she saw Scott approaching her. "Hey, Scott," she responded.

"What are you reading?" Scott peered over her shoulder at the book in her lap and frowned. "Twilight? Jean, I thought you were better than that."

"What?" Jean blinked. "It's a guilty pleasure. You should know all about those, Mr. Hallmark Mysteries."

"What?" Scott feigned shock. "That's a lie! I would never jeopardize my manliness by watching Hallmark!"

Jean laughed. "Then maybe you should have done a better job at hiding your DVD collection. You had them displayed on your bookshelf. Anyone who walks into your room will see them right away."

"When were you in my room?" Scott asked.

"About an hour ago," Jean replied. "Where were you anyway?"

"I was in the greenhouse helping Ororo plant some flowers," Scott answered. "She's only been two days and she's already turned it into a tropical jungle."

"I am not surprised," Jean chuckled. "Plants love her."

"Who loves who?" Ororo suddenly appeared outside the library window, floating in mid-air. She was dressed in a pair of faded jeans and an old T-shirt, her cloud white hair tied back with a scrunchy. However, a few strands had escaped their confines and fell over her forehead.

Jean smiled upon seeing her friend. "So, you finally decided to leave the greenhouse," she said.

"I thought I'd come be social for a while," Ororo responded. "I'm going into town later. Do you want to come with me?"

"Sure," said Jean. "I could use a little retail therapy anyway."

"Me too," said Scott. "Well, not so much the shopping part, but I'm curious to see what Halfmoon Bay has for entertainment."

"Great," Ororo said, smiling. "I'll take a shower and—"

'Jean, Scott, Ororo, could you meet me in the main drawing room? There's something I need to discuss with you.'

"Well, duty calls," Scott said. "I wonder what he wants to talk to us about."

"I guess we'll find out soon enough," Jean said, marking her place in her book and setting it on the table and stood up from her chair, stretching her limbs as she did so.

"Tell Charles I'll be there in a minute," Ororo said. "I'm going to get changed."

The main drawing room was exactly what the name indicated – a sitting room often used for entertaining guests in the mansion's earlier days. It was a large, airy room with lush, wine-coloured carpeting, tasteful white leather couches and chair arranged around a glass coffee table, and massive windows that looked out over the front courtyard. On the right side of the room was a stone fireplace, its mantle lined with framed photos of Professor Xavier and his former students as well as old portraits of various members of the Xavier family. On the left was a short bookshelf crammed with board games and magazines, and immediately to the right of that were a pair of glass doors leading out onto the patio.

Jean and Scott sat side by side on one of the longer couches while Ororo had seated herself in a chair closest to the fireplace.

"Thank you for coming," Professor Xavier said as he wheeled into the room, a thick file folder in his hands. "I don't want to keep you here too long so I'll try to make this brief." He paused for a moment as he parked his wheelchair, adjusting himself so that he was facing his three former students. "I have decided to start the recruitment process right away. We only have three weeks before classes begin, and I'd like the students to get settled in before then."

"So, you're really going through with it?" Scott asked.

Xavier nodded. "Yes, Scott," he answered. "When I first opened the Institute, I promised I would leave no mutant behind, and I intend to keep my word. I know how hard Kevin's death has been on all of you, and I know that some of you may feel it's too soon to start accepting new students, but I believe this is the best way for all of us to move on. We can't stay in the past forever – we need to start looking toward the future. Not just for our sake, but for current and future generations of mutants."

"I completely agree, Professor," Scott said. "It's been too quiet around here anyway."

Both Jean and Ororo laughed. "You may end up eating your words later," Ororo said, smirking. "But you're right. I've always had fond memories from when we were young and perhaps it's someone else's turn now."

"Absolutely," Jean added. "We'd be happy to help out, Professor."

"Thank you, Jean," said Xavier. "I certainly could use your assistance. As a matter of fact, I was going to—"

At that moment, Xavier's phone rang, cutting him off before he could finish his sentence. He pulled his phone from his jacket pocket and peered at the screen; confusion etched on his face. He did not recognize the number, but he had a strong feeling he needed to answer it.

"Excuse me for a moment," he said, wheeling out of the room. "I have to take this."

"Hello?" Xavier said into the phone, apprehension in his voice.

"Hey, Chuck."

"Logan?" Xavier's eyes went wide in surprise. It had been a little over five years since Xavier had heard from him. He had an idea of where the other man had been all this time, and could have easily located him, but had decided against it. Logan would get back in touch when he was ready to do so.

"Who else would it be?" Logan replied.

Xavier chuckled. "it's good to hear from you," he said. "How have you been?"

Logan gave a short, sharp laugh. "Shit, Chuck, ya wouldn't believe me if I told ya."

"Well, given your rather colourful past, I'm inclined to believe whatever shenanigans you've gotten yourself into."

"That's kinda what I'm callin' ya about," Logan said. "You still gonna reopen the school?"

"Yes," Xavier answered. "In fact, it's funny you should bring that up because we were just discussing it. Are you interested in becoming an instructor?"

"I'll think about it," Logan replied. "Actually, it's for someone else?"

"Oh?" Xavier was intrigued.

"She could really use yer help, Chuck. The kid's been through a lot."

"I wonder who that was," Ororo said.

"I don't think he recognized the number," said Jean.

"Telemarketer maybe?" Scott suggested.

"He's been out there too long."

"It could be a new student," Ororo added.

"Maybe," said Jean.

The door opened suddenly, and Professor Xavier entered the room once again. "I apologize for taking so long," he said. "That was Logan."

"Logan?" Scott blinked in surprise. "What did he say?"

"He'll be joining us in two days' time," Xavier replied. "He's bringing someone with him. It seems we'll be getting our first student sooner than I anticipated."

Undisclosed Location – Northern Ontario, Canada

Brrring, brrring.

Brrring, brrring.

Brrring, brrring.

Laura jerked awake suddenly, and for a moment she couldn't figure out where that dreadfully irritating sound was coming from. She had popped in an old VHS copy of Black Christmas before laying down, so she looked toward the old CRT TV. The movie had ended long ago, and colourful snow filled the screen.

Then her eyes fell on her phone sitting on the beat-up coffee table. She let out a weary sigh as she reached for it, making a mental note to change her ringtone.

"Yeah?" she yawned into the phone.

"It's me, half-pint."

"I know," she replied. "I have caller ID remember?"

"I know. I'm not that old, y'know."

Laura snorted. "Says the guy who lived through both world wars. Anyway, where are you?"

"I'm on my way back. You packed up yet?"

"Uh-huh." She yawned again and pulled herself into a sitting position, stretching her limbs as she did so.

"Good. We're leavin' as soon as I get back."

"Aw, but I like this middle-of-the-nowhere cabin with its ratty old furniture and no Internet and ancient technology," Laura said, a small smile playing across her lips.

"Well, yer gonna like where we're goin'."

"Please tell me it's going to be a little more permanent this time."

"Well, that all depends on you, don't it?"

"Oh, har har. I'm not that difficult."

"I beg to differ."

"Shut up," Laura laughed. "Anyway, bring back breakfast. I'm starving."

"We'll hit Tim Hortons on the way. Get your stuff and meet me out front."

"Got it. See you then." The call ended and Laura slid off the couch. She switched off the TV and grabbed the large black suitcase leaning against the wall beside the front door. Shrugging on her brown leather jacket, she hurried out the door and onto the porch, the morning chill not seeming to bother her.

She sighed again and leaned against the railing, looking up at the clear, cloudless sky. She sincerely hoped their next home would be permanent. She'd spent the last five years of her life on the run, and it was really getting old.

She wanted friends. Someone her own age to hang out with and talk about stuff she didn't feel comfortable sharing with Logan. She wanted her own bedroom. She wanted to go to school. She wanted some stability in her life for once.

But more importantly, she wanted a life where she didn't have to keep looking over shoulder all the time, wondering if they were still looking for her.

She could already hear his truck drawing closer, so she grabbed her suitcase and walked to the end of the gravel driveway, ready to jump in as soon as he pulled up. She wanted to be optimistic this time. She wanted to believe that this next adventure would be their last one for a while, and she could finally live the life of a normal teenager. Well, as normal as one could be with her background.

But she'd been disappointed so many times before? Why would this be any different?

Xavier Institute – Xavier's office

"No problem, Mrs. Kincaid, Xavier was saying into his office phone. "I'll send one of my colleagues to your home in the morning. She'll explain everything … yes … just try to keep her calm … I understand. You are more than welcome, Mrs. Kincaid … sorry, Jill. My colleague will be there first thing in the morning. If there's a problem before then, do not hesitate to call me, no matter how late it is. Okay, thank you. You have a good evening."

Xavier hung up the phone and made a check mark on Cessily's file before storing it away in in the top drawer of his desk. The call had been a success, although the girl's mother had been understandably rattled. He sent a quick email to Jean with the necessary information she would need for her trip out to Oregon tomorrow. He was about to open another Word document when he noticed his computer screen was flickering. At first, he thought it was the usual technical troubles, but it seemed to get worse. Taking his hands off the keyboard, he looked on curiously as the lights around him followed, casting an eerie glow upon his office.

"What on Earth—"

But before he could finish his sentence the metal objects on his desk came to life, levitating in mid-air and swirling around his wheelchair. Pushing himself back from the desk, he looked over toward the window where he saw nothing except for the setting sun. But Charles Xavier didn't need to see anything to know what was going on.

"I know you're there," he called out. "Come out, Max."

The window then flew open and a gust of wind blew through the room, kicking up some of the papers on the desk. The floating objects slowly returned to their places. A figure in black hovered just outside the window. It was a figure Xavier quickly recognized. He held firm to his wheelchair as he watched him casually enter his office.

He bore an imposing demeanour, dressed in a long black overcoat that reached to the back of his calves. His face was hard, his dark eyes blazing with a mix of anger and determination. But what really caught Xavier's attention was the strange-looking helmet on his head.

"I love the new house, Charles," he said in a deep, ominous tone. "You've really made it your own, haven't you?"

"Well, this was certainly unexpected," Xavier said. "How did you find me?"

"I have my ways," Max replied. "Aren't you going to ask me about this?" He tapped his helmet.

"Well, considering I couldn't sense your presence, I assume it's a psychic dampener of sorts," Xavier responded. "But the more important question is what are you doing here?"

Max laughed. "If I didn't know better, Charles, I'd say you were suspicious of me."

"Given what you're capable of, I have every right to be."

"I can't disagree with you there," Max said, descending to the floor. "But to answer your question, I'm here to warn you."

"About what?"

"We both knew this day would come," Max said strongly. The mutant population is growing, and it's only a matter of time before they learn of us. And you know what will happen then? They'll come for us. They'll try to destroy us."

"That's stretching a bit, Max," Xavier said. "Times have changed. People today are far more tolerant than they used to be."

"Are they really, Charles?" Max said. "Because the last time I checked neo-Nazi groups still exist."

"Max, be reasonable—"

"I am being reasonable, Charles. You know as well as I do that history has a nasty habit of repeating itself. I intend to make sure it doesn't happen again, not this time."

Xavier frowned. "How do you plan to do that?"

"You don't need to know that," Max replied. "But you'd do well not to interfere."

"You better not be implying—" Xavier began, but Max held up a hand to silence him.

"Charles, I have always respected you, despite the fact we can't see eye to eye on certain issues. I also know you've suffered a terrible loss and you're still struggling with that. I highly suggest you focus on putting your own life back together. Do not concern yourself with what I'm doing. I really don't want to have to fight against you, Charles, but I will do it if necessary."

Xavier's face fell, and he suddenly felt like all the energy had been drained from his body. "Max, please, don't—"

"It must be done, Charles," Max said. "The time for action is now, before it's too late."

"Max—" Xavier began, but again, the other man wouldn't let him finish. Instead, he rose into the air again and glided out the open window.

"For your sake, Charles, I hope you heed my warning," were the last words Max Eisenhardt said before disappearing into the night, leaving Xavier to stare after him.

"Charles? Is everything okay?" Ororo's voice came from outside the door. "The electricity has been flickering on and off, and I checked the breakers but nothing seems to be wrong with them."

"Ororo, could you ask the others to meet me in my office?" Charles responded. "We have a problem."

Next up, Orientation Part 2. Things will start to get interesting in the next chapter I promise.


End file.
